Film Preview: A United Kingdom (2017 )

Page Revisions:

(October 16, 2016) Original
(December 11, 2016) New Trailer (#3) / New Posters (#2-#6)

Release Date:

February 17, 2017

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana causes an international stir when he marries a white woman from London in the late 1940s.”

Poster Rating: D+ / C (3) / D+ / C+

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Review: (#1) A two-panel design that’s as rudimentary as it is definitive. It’s good that both sections are largely distinct, but that isn’t enough to unify the design.

(#2-#4) These posters take us back to a time when black-and-white photos would have been commonplace, making them feel timely, but ultimately not able to sell the film itself. (#5) It’s not hard to get an Out of Africa vibe from this poster, which I’m sure isn’t coincidental. Unfortunately, it looks entirely fake, which doesn’t help set the film up as a biopic. (#6) While this doesn’t look as fake as #4, it still doesn’t have a naturalistic feel. Still, it’s a lovely design showcasing the love between these two characters.

Trailer Rating: B- / C+ / B-

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Review: (#1 & #2) The first trailer does a far better job establishing the film as the kind of movie that history-minded audiences would be interested in checking out. The second allows the predictability and conventional style of the narrative seep through, which won’t quite help the movie sell.

(#3) Your standard issue biopic is on full display in this trailer. It sets the stakes and plays modestly well towards them. Whether it has the kind of impact on audiences as it would like is another matter altogether.

Oscar Prospects:

The film did decently with audiences in its festival run, but it has largely been ignored in terms of its Oscar potential. Both David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike could compete if the film does well with the critics awards at the end of the year.